Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks performing live at the Forum in Kentish Town

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Live review: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – The Forum, London

Published on January 17th, 2014 | Jonny Abrams

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks’ sixth album Wig Out at Jagbags is, as usual with them, unfurling beautifully with each listen and burrowing into the ol’ cerebral cortex, soundtracking this unseasonably (if sporadically) good weather we’ve been having something lovely.

Witnessing these songs performed in a live setting – or rather being so pleased to hear each one – confirmed for this writer that Wig Out at Jagbags is another great Malkmus album to chuck on the pile of classics he’s turned in over the last three decades.

The man’s just a great songwriter and, six Jicks LPs in compared to Pavement’s five, he’s now in his second great band – what’s more, he is backed by great musicians who are right behind his every whim and wig-out, at Jagbags or otherwise.

Kudos to the Forum for having such perfect sound on the night – support act Joanna Gruesome were explosive yet came through crystal clear, a clarity that suited the Jicks’ intricate musicianship down to the ground.

Material new and recent dominated the set list – the Mirror Traffic went down a treat, what a jolly terrific album that is – so to end with “Jenny and the Ess-Dog”, the closing track of 2001’s post-Pavement debut Stephen Malkmus (so-titled at his label’s insistence), was a masterstroke.

Why, here it is…

Full five-quail treatment? Darn tootin’.

Rocksucker says: Five Quails out of Five!

a quail a quail a quail a quail a quail

Artists: pavement, stephen malkmus, stephen malkmus and the jicks

About the Author

Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.